BRAVE ENOUGH TO TRY
"You'll never do a whole lot unless you're brave enough to try."
- Dolly Parton
We try to live by that mantra here at The Pearl. And this month, we're doing a whole lot. Two patron saints of womankind, Dolly Parton and Gloria Steinem, left us recently. Opposite sides of the same coin, both spent their lives being unmistakably, bravely themselves, and taught generations of women the same lesson in a way that was uniquely their own.
So here's everything we've been brave enough to try lately:
Boogie Down Birthday: The Pearl Turns One!
Hard to believe it's already been a year/only been a year since we opened our doors in Mott Haven. So, we're having a party: September 27th, upstairs on the rooftop at Rosa's at Park. Pink umbrellas, Bronx views, music, dancing, appetizers, your first drink on us, & a few mini dance-party moments led by some of your favorite instructors.
One year down. Come upstairs and celebrate with us.
There are still a few weeks left of this magical practice outside over the water, watching the sun set over Manhattan. We'll be at the Morris Yacht Club through early October, and after that - Sunset Yoga, but make it toasty. We'll move inside to the Harlem Yacht Club on City Island. Same sunset energy, just with walls and a fireplace :)
Yoga Is Coming to Mott Haven 🧘
You asked, we listened. Yoga is finally coming to Mott Haven, with Reggie bringing it to the schedule. We've heard this request more times than I can count, and it feels great to finally say yes.
Hatha: Wednesdays at 4:15
Run Club! 🏃
City Island has been asking us for its very own Run Club. So, we had our first one last weekend, and we're keeping it running 😜
Whether you identify as an actual runner or just someone who occasionally agrees to run under very specific, negotiated circumstances, come hang out with Jessy & the gang on Sundays at 10:30 on CI and Thursdays at 6:30 in MH.
On the 27th, our Mott Haven runner Bethzaida R is running the Friends of Four Parks 5K on behalf of The Pearl! Cheer her on at Macombs Dam Park at 11am.
Hello, Riverdale!
The response to Riverdale has already been pretty amazing. So many of you have joined the list, & every new signup makes us even more excited about what this studio is going to become. If you signed up for updates, expect little sneak peeks into our progress in your inbox every Friday.
While we get the studio ready, we figured - why wait? Starting Sunday, September 20th, we'll offer free Mat Pilates classes in Van Cortlandt Park every Sunday until Riverdale opens. Our very first one will be taught by Denise, your future Riverdale Studio Manager. Bring a mat, bring a friend, and help us start building this community before we even have four walls around it.
Fall/Winter Pilates Teacher Training Is Open!
Registration is open for our next Pilates Teacher Training cohort, running October 24th through January 9th. This time, the training tours The Pearl: seminars rotate between City Island, Mott Haven, and Riverdale, with observation and practice teaching available at any of our studios.
If becoming a certified Pilates instructor has been on your mind, this is the moment. Early bird pricing runs through September 22nd.
One Last Spot for Our Fall Retreat 🍂
Our upstate retreat sold out, but we now have one spot available in a shared room with a female roommate.
We'll be spending October 9–12 in Kingston, NY, at the ridiculously beautiful Church des Artistes, for Leaves, Light + Linger - a long weekend of Pilates, yoga, good food, autumn in the Hudson Valley, and disappearing from real life for a few days. If you've been wishing you'd signed up when we first announced it, this is your chance.
September Community Class 💙
Every month, our $5 Community Class supports a different organization - this month, proceeds go to the VA Whole Health Resilience and Wellness Center, a Bronx VA program supporting veterans through meditation, movement, and therapeutic horticulture, with a focus on suicide prevention. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and it feels like a good place to point our small monthly effort.
So, one year in Mott Haven, a new studio taking shape in Riverdale, a run club with its first race on the calendar, yoga finally landing in Mott Haven, a fresh batch of teacher trainees, a retreat with one seat left, and a community class doing some good along the way.
"The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day."
- Gloria Steinem
Every day, we're building this place one class, one studio, one person who decided to show up at a time. Our own little movement, made up of everybody in it.
See ya on the mat!
P.S. Last thing, we promise! We're coming up on the last few days of the Best of the Bronx competition, please help us hold our titles of Best Pilates Studio and Best Yoga Studio by taking a moment to vote, thank you kindly!